Hair dryers are well-known and widely-used appliances. Although hair dryers are used by millions of consumers everyday, they remain an awkward appliance to use simply because the user is generally using a brush and/or a comb concurrently. In order to simplify the use of hair dryers, many have attempted to create hair dryer holders to free the user's hands. However, because of the unusual and different shape of most hair dryers, the holders have not met the user's needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,106 discloses an apparatus for supporting an electrical hair dryer. The apparatus includes a bracket having an arm that pivots and a holder having a slot and a yoke that is pivotly attached to the arm. The dryer is supported in the holder by placing the hand grip of the dryer in the slot and the barrel of the dryer in the yoke. Resilient straps secure the dryer in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,313 discloses a portable hair dryer holder designed to hold a hair dryer, allowing a person to use their two free hands on their hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,090 discloses an adjustable holder device for a hand-held hair dryer that allows rotational and vertical movement of the hair dryer. The device comprises a holder member that holds the hair dryer on one end and attaches to a base on the other end. A wall mount base is provided for permanent attachment to a wall that has a means for receiving the holder member in varying vertical positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,531 discloses a hair dryer holder apparatus that is fully adjustable for releasably holding a hair dryer. The holder includes a horizontal ring base and a pair of spaced vertical telescoping posts, the upper ends of which include a hinged pair of adjustable arms angled generally towards each other. The arms have grippers which releasably hold the hair dryer at the handle and the nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,670 discloses an apparatus for supporting an electrical hair dryer. The apparatus includes a base from which projects a flexible tube. The other end of the tube includes a hair dryer holder. The flexible tube may be positioned into any of a number of various orientations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,263 discloses a hair drying apparatus comprising a hair dryer holder, a power cord retainer, and a base. The holder allows the hair dryer to be removable, adjustable in height, and securably positioned. The base contains a power cord retainer and may be mounted on a wall.
U.S. Pat. Nos. D313,341, D374,312, and D374,312 disclose various designs for a hair dryer holder. U.S. Pat. No. D314,502 discloses a design for an adjustable hair dryer holder.
Although there are numerous means for holding a hair dryer disclosed in the art, there remains a need for a hair dryer holder that allows universal mounting (e.g., a wall, a mirror, a table, or a sink) while simultaneously providing a universal range of positions available for securing the hair dryer.